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Paul Tisdale says Robbie Simpson receiving a round of applause from the Exeter City dressing room is symptomatic of the Grecians' squad.

Simpson scored in yesterday's 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town in his first start since breaking his ankle last February, prompting scenes of delight amongst Grecians fans.

Post-match, Simpson was applauded in the City dressing room, and Tisdale explained this was not an unusual thing.

He said: “It’s symptomatic of our dressing room – I don’t want to give too many secrets away but we’re very giving and we’re all together and we enjoy each other’s successes, and that was a big success.

“Not just coming back from a dislocated, broken, awful ankle, but to play that well and score is a success, so I think everyone was more than happy to clap Robbie.

“It’s something we do regularly with anyone’s successes, big or small, but that was a big success, that’s not just a run-of-the-mill success but a huge success for Robbie.”

Tisdale said he was delighted for Simpson to score and said it felt rewarding for him to make the right call in playing him.

He said: “Immense satisfaction having made the decision to play him – at some point you’ve got to make that call.

“You’ve got to put someone back out there at some point, where it’s playing a young player like Jordan Storey or putting someone back in like Robbie, who’s a senior player that’s been out for a long time.

“I’m pleased for myself having made the decision, you want to see it work well, and it gave me real satisfaction.

“I’m really delighted – it’s not just a case of it’s great he’s back, it’s a very close-knit group and Robbie’s had a lot of hardship, really.

“He missed out last year on lots of our good days when he was injured and we’re so pleased to have him back.”

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When asked what convinced him to field Simpson, Tisdale revealed the striker's impact off the bench against Lincoln City played a big part.

He said: “It suited the way I wanted to play and it’s like anything, he’s shown enough recently to merit a discussion on whether we should select him or not.

“Robbie is the major driver in his own recovery, his determination and his professionalism, but Ade Saunderson, the physio, has worked really well with him over a long period of time and so has Peter Riou, the doctor.

“Matt Taylor and Mel Gwinnett, who run the under-23 team in the Premier League Cup, that’s been invaluable because Robbie’s played in a number of those games and those types of matches have got him to the point where he could be selected.